Car-coupling



(No Model.)

W. TUCKER. Gar Coupling. No.- 228,956. Patented June 15,1880.

WITNESSESr Y INX/TENTOR: Mfl f;

ATTORNEYS.

N.FETERS, FHOTO-LITNOGRAPNER. WASHINGTONv D C UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM TUCKER, OF EAST TOLEDO, OHIO.

CAR-COUPLING.-

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 228,956, dated June 15, 1880.

Application filed April 16, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM TUCKER, of East Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved 5 Gar-Coupling and I do hereby declare that the following is afull,clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in the class of automatic couplings for railroadcars in which a springjaw upon the drawhead of one car engages with a jaw secured to the draw-head of the next adjoining car when the cars are to be coupled, and in which chains secured to the sprin g-j aw are employed to draw I and hold the springjaw in such position that it will not engage with the jaw of the next adjoining -car, so that the coupling may be rendered inoperative when desired, or may be readily uncoupled without going between the cars.

The coupling herein described is more particularly adapted to freight-cars, although a portion of the device may be employed upon passenger-cars by using other mechanism than 2 5 that herein shown for uncoupling the cars or for rendering the coupling inoperative.

My invention consists in the combination and arrangementofparts,as hereinafter shown,

4 described, and claimed.

0 In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view of my improved coupling, showing a gondola-car coupled to a boxcar, the spring-hooks of which are shown by full lines in their locked position and by dotted lines 3 5 in an unlocked position, and in which is also shown, in dotted lines, the ordinary link for coupling the draw-heads in the usual manner when the hook-coupling is not employed. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 a per- 40 spective view of one of the spring-hooks detached.

The coupling-box or draw-head A may be secured to the framing of the car B and to the end of the draw-bar in the usual way, and the general form of the well-known coupling-box need not be changed except upon its sides. By this means the ordinary link and pin may be used to connect the improved coupling with the common coupling when desired.

The improved coupling-box is provided with a fixed jaw, A, cast upon one of its sides, and

(No model.)

laterally-projecting cars A A cast upon its opposite side. A spring-jaw, 0, having a fanshaped jaw, c, at one end and a rectangular shank, 0 at the other, neatly fits between the 5 5 cars A A and is pivoted thereto by a pin, 0, that passes through both of the ears and through the middle portion of the spring-jaw. The shank c of the spring-jaw O is located nearly parallel to the adjacent side of the coup- 6o ling-box, and is reduced in size at its end to allow suificient space between the shank and the side of the coupling-box to arrange a coiled spring, D, one end of which is secured to the jaw-shank c and the other end of which is secured to the side of the coupling-box, so that the shank end of the jaw is constantly pressed away from the coupling-box, to which it is pivoted, and the opposite end or jaw is forced in toward the side of the coupling-box of the next car, so that when a fixed jaw is formed upon the adjoining coupling-box the spring-jaw will interlock with it.

\Vhen bot-h adjoining cars are provided with my improved coupling a double connection is made between the cars, so that if one should become inoperative by the breaking of a pin or spring the other jaw will securely couple the cars together until the defect can be remedied.

A great advantage of the double spring-hook connection is that the coupling may be used upon narrow-gage mountain roads, which employ curves of such short radius that a singlehooked connection would become easily dis- 8 5 connected, and the uncoupled car would be allowed to descend a grade over which it may be drawn with great danger, or be accidentally left upon a level grade at night, which would be attended with great danger.

The fan-shaped or flaring end of the springjaw G will not only admit of afirm connection between the jaws, but will accommodate the hinged jaw of one car to the fixed jaw of another car of a different height. Thisis a most 5 important feature in connection with freightcars, as gondola-cars or heavy-burden cars are much lower than box-cars, and in making up a train cars of different kinds are often coupled together, especially upon small roads.

The rear end or shank, c of the spring-jaw is connected upon its inner side with two chains, E F, one of which, E, passes directly to the opposite side of the car, and,passing through an eye, a, is provided with a ring, 6, upon its end, which, when drawn with sutficient force, may be hitched over a pin, 6 secured to a convenient part of the outer side of the car-body, which action will compress the spiral spring and render the spring-jaw inoperative. The chain F is first passed to the same side of the car as the chain E, so as to be parallel with it, and is then carried around a friction-roller, G, and returned to the opposite side of the car, and passes through an eye, f, and is provided with a ring, fL, which may be hooked over a pin, so that the chain F maybe used from the other side of the car to operate the spring-hook. By this simple means the spring-hook may be readily operated by simple, cheap, and effectual means from either side of the car. 1

When the coupling is used upon a box-car the outer ends of the chains E F may be connected to a strap, F, that is held vertically against the side of the car, and is provided at its upper end with a handle,so that the brakeman may reach it from the top of the car operate the hooks to uncouple them.

I am aware that a crank-rod and chain h; been employed to operate the pivoted la ally-swinging hook or jaw of a car-coupli I neither claim nor employ such combinat'. of parts.

What I claim as new is The combination, with the coupling hook jaw having the fan -sl1aped part c and 1 shank 0 which is extended in rear of its piv and the spring D, arranged as specified, of t chains E and F, which are attached to s2 shank and arranged as shown-that is to s: one of them passing through an eye, 6, at t side of the car and the other passing aroui by contiguous pulley G, and thence thI'Ollg an eye, f, at the opposite side of the car---: as shown and described, whereby the couplin jaw may be easily operated by tension on eith chain, as set forth.

i WILLIAM TUCKER. Witnesses SoLoN O. KEMoN, Guns. A. Pn'r'rrr. 

